If you haven’t tried soy curls, what have you been waiting for? They are the vegan version of chicken but so much better! Much like chicken, soy curls, once rehydrated, take on any flavor you throw at them. Here is one of my favorite recipes. They are so easy and unbelievably good! I took a stab at my favorite dish, Mongolian beef (minus the beef) and this recipe came out beautifully. As noted, you can bake or pan sauté the soy curls to cook the water out of them and get them nice and golden. The recipe is quite adaptable too, so add more or less of what you love. ~ox

Ingredients:

2 lbs or about 2 bags of soy curls
Water for soaking
Avocado oil

Sauce:

1 tbl of cornstarch mixed
1 tbl water (you’ll need more water to thin out the sauce later)
1/3 cup of liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tbl of chili paste
1 tbl grated ginger
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbl of Hoisin sauce
1 tbl coconut or brown sugar
1/3 cup of water
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
Black sesame seeds
Green onions

You can cook the soy curls on the stove top or in the oven. Regardless, toss with some kind of oil and cook until lightly golden. For this recipe I cooked them in the oven as I had it on from prior baking. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Begin by dumping your dried soy curls in a big bowl. Cover with hot tap water and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes. Once hydrated, I dump the curls into a large colander and allow to drain for a few minutes. Then I push them down firmly into the bowl to release any extra water. Drier soy curls work best! Once most of the water is out, spread evenly onto a baking sheet and spray with oil. Toss to coat. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden checking on and tossing occassionally.

In the meantime, add the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk to combine then add that along with the other sauce ingredients to a small pot over low heat. Whisk to combine. If the sauce thickens too much, simple add some water and whisk. I probably added 1/3 cup of additional water as it thickened.

Remove the soy curls and add to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over top and toss to coat. Serve over rice or your favorite grain. I topped with black sesame seeds and green onions.

I’ve linked where I buy my organic soy curls with my Amazon affiliate link. But you can also purchase at an Asian market.

I hope you enjoy! ~ox

— Knead to Cook